Umjesto čaja, večeras pijem vodu iz velike šalice.

Instead of tea, tonight I am drinking water from a large cup.

Breakdown of Umjesto čaja, večeras pijem vodu iz velike šalice.

• piti: to drink
• voda: water
• večeras: tonight
• čaj: tea
• iz: from
• šalica: cup
• umjesto: instead of
• velik: large

Questions & Answers about Umjesto čaja, večeras pijem vodu iz velike šalice.

Why is it “čaja” after “Umjesto”?

Because umjesto (instead of) governs the genitive case. The noun “čaj” (tea) is masculine; its genitive singular is čaja. Other examples:

• umjesto kave (instead of coffee)
• umjesto mlijeka (instead of milk)
• umjesto tebe (instead of you)

What case is “vodu” and why?

“Vodu” is accusative singular of the feminine noun “voda” (water). It’s in the accusative because it’s the direct object of the verb “pijem” (I drink). Nominative “voda” → accusative “vodu”.

Why “iz velike šalice”? What case is that?

The preposition iz (from, out of) requires the genitive. “Šalica” (cup/mug) is feminine; genitive singular is šalice. The adjective must agree in case, number, and gender, so velika (big) becomes velike in the genitive feminine singular: iz velike šalice = from a big cup/mug.

Could I say “u velikoj šalici” instead? How would that change the meaning?

Yes, but it changes the meaning:

• iz velike šalice = from a big cup/mug (the source you’re drinking from)
• u velikoj šalici = in a big cup/mug (location, “the water is in a big cup”)
  With “u”, use:
• u + accusative = into (movement): u veliku šalicu (into a big cup)
• u + locative = in (location): u velikoj šalici (in a big cup)

Is the comma after “Umjesto čaja” necessary?

It’s common and stylistically preferred to place a comma after a fronted prepositional phrase like Umjesto čaja, but it’s not absolutely mandatory. The comma helps readability.

Where can “večeras” go in the sentence?

It’s flexible. Common options:

• Večeras pijem vodu iz velike šalice.
• Umjesto čaja, večeras pijem vodu iz velike šalice.
• Večeras, umjesto čaja, pijem vodu iz velike šalice. Placing “večeras” early emphasizes the time; placing it later sounds more neutral or focuses on what you’re drinking.

Is present “pijem” okay for a plan tonight?

Yes. Croatian uses the present tense for near-future arrangements, much like English (“I’m drinking water tonight”). You can also use the future for a plan:

• Večeras ću piti vodu. (Tonight I will drink water.)

What’s the difference between “pijem,” “ću piti,” and “popit ću”?

• pijem = present, imperfective (ongoing or habitual; also used for near-future plans).
• ću piti = future, imperfective (I will be drinking; focus on the activity).
• popit ću (or ću popiti) = future, perfective (I will drink up/finish a certain amount, e.g., a glass).
  Use perfective to stress completion: Večeras ću popiti čašu vode.

Can I say “Umjesto da pijem čaj, večeras pijem vodu”?

Yes. Umjesto da + finite verb introduces a clause (“instead of drinking tea”). Use:

• Umjesto čaja
  • noun (preferred when you’re replacing a noun)
• Umjesto da pijem čaj
  • clause (when contrasting actions)
    Both are correct; the noun version is simpler here.

Can I say “pijem vode” instead of “pijem vodu”?

Normally you say pijem vodu. The genitive vode can appear as a partitive to mean “some water,” but it’s more common:

• with quantities: pijem malo vode (I’m drinking a little water)
• in negatives: ne pijem vode
• with certain verbs/contexts.
  In neutral positive statements, vodu is the natural choice.

Why “velike,” not “veliku” or “velika”?

Agreement. The adjective must match the noun in case, number, and gender. Since “šalice” is genitive feminine singular (required by “iz”), the adjective is velike (genitive fem. sg.).

• Nominative: velika šalica
• Accusative: veliku šalicu
• Genitive: velike šalice

Is “umesto” (without j) acceptable?

That’s the Serbian form. In standard Croatian, use umjesto. The sentence is in Croatian, so keep the “mj” spelling: umjesto.

Is “šalica” the right word for a mug?

In Croatian, šalica covers both “cup” and many “mug” contexts (especially for tea/coffee). For a beer mug/stein, use krigla. In Serbian/Bosnian, you’ll often hear šolja for cup/mug; in Croatian, stick to šalica.

Why “iz,” not “od” or “sa/s”?

• iz = from the inside of something: iz šalice (from a cup)
• od = from someone/source, or “made of”: pismo od prijatelja; čaša od stakla
• s/sa = from a surface (genitive) or with (instrumental): sa stola (off the table); s prijateljem (with a friend)
  For drinking from a container, use iz.

Can I change the phrase order to “Večeras pijem vodu umjesto čaja”?

Yes. That’s very natural. Other perfectly fine orders:

• Večeras, umjesto čaja, pijem vodu iz velike šalice.
• Pijem vodu iz velike šalice večeras, umjesto čaja. (more marked, end-focus on “instead of tea”) Croatian word order is flexible; position affects emphasis, not grammaticality.

How do I say “this/that big mug” or make it definite?

Croatian has no articles. Use demonstratives to specify:

• iz ove velike šalice = from this big mug
• iz one velike šalice = from that big mug To specify the water: pijem ovu vodu (I’m drinking this water).

How would I include a pronoun for “it” (the water)?

Use the feminine accusative clitic je (or ju). Clitics typically go in the second position in the clause:

• Večeras je pijem umjesto čaja. (I’m drinking it tonight instead of tea.) You can also place it after the first stressed word:
• Pijem je večeras umjesto čaja.

Quick recap: which cases appear in the sentence?

• Genitive: čaja (after umjesto), velike šalice (after iz)
• Accusative: vodu (direct object)
• Nominative: not overtly used here (it would be implicit “ja” as the subject)
• Adverb: večeras (tonight)
• Verb: pijem (1st person singular, present, imperfective)